KOSOVAR1  It really annoys me that the developer of this application only bothers to send paying customers an updated version only every three days. How lazy! If they were earning their shareware fees, they would provide a new update three times per day, eight days per week. The added benefit for the developer is that that they would get all the extra free advertising of their product with shameless transparency. (We certainly yearn for more of that!) The added benefit for us customers is that we could waste more of our valuable time constantly downloading and installing VideoDrive, like version 1.9.8.02.06.321rc because we all know how irresistible and indispensable those new features are, like the more rounded edges to the button on the thirty-third preference option, or that incredibly important changed word spelling in the help menu, or the new localization into Finno-Ungaric. Besides my minor gripe, I do think this is an excellent program.  
(Version 1.9.8.02)

ESTNYC  I've used this app for several months now, and it's very, very handy. I have a "hacked" Apple TV which can play .avis just fine, as long as the file's embedded within the appropriate wrapper, to fool both iTunes and ATV to play it just fine.

It's getting better and better, but I have two major headaches with it that prevent me from giving it more than three stars. First of all, the Hot Folders feature has never worked for me. I think it's got something to do with my keeping my iTunes folder on an external HD. I can live with that, I don't mind manually queuing up files (although I'd much rather have it done automatically). The biggest drawback for me is that it's just not very good at finding metadata -- that is, the correct names of shows, episode titles, etc. Often it's wrong in what it finds; sometimes hilariously so. It's kind of irritating to be babysitting a conversion process which should run just fine untouched by human hands.

I just figured finding the right info was hard, and I'd just have to put up with it. And then Boxee came along! Boxee does a GREAT job of identifying movie, show, episode information; much much better than VideoDrive. So, I have to wonder, as I yet again change the hilariously misnamed mess VD makes of "House," if Boxee can do it, why can't VideoDrive?  
(Version 1.9.4)

HAGAR06  Great tool, can't wait for better image quality of the covers!  
(Version 1.7.6)

JEFF H.  I just bought this a couple days ago so I will give it more time to prove itself but after these few days my experiences have been mixed.

When it works, it does just what its supposed to do and does it faster than any other method.

But I've had several .mov that once in Front Row will not play and even when I scroll over them Front Row goes into a sort of loop and I must force-quit to get back to my desktop.

Anyone else with this?  
(Version 1.7.6)

2SHAE  I seriously have no regret ever buying this app and it's great to see that it's being tweaked all the time.

It has made my Frontrow experience so much better.  
(Version 1.7.4)

ANDREW SCOTT  I've come to rely on VideoDrive quite a bit since setting up my media centre. I routinely use it seek out cover art for my video collection as well as adding useful metadata.

It does, however, have its idiosyncrasies, mainly to do with the metadata functions. For example, it has a distinct penchant for turning up "Doug's 1st Movie" for many automatic metadata searches. (It did this just now when searching for "Citizen Kane"!) If you re-type the movie title and search again it usually finds the correct movie.

The other thing is an unfortunate interface arrangement. There is a "Set Metadata" button for starting a search on your iTunes selection(s) and below it a "Preferences" button. If you want to switch between manual and automatic metadata you have a trip to the preferences ahead of you. If you just hit the "Set Metadata" button there is no cue to what you'll get—you have to remember what you set your preferences to last time you used it. Surely it would make more sense to have a few more buttons at this top level such as "Auto-set metadata" and "Manually set metadata" (with a brief summary of the settings that will be applied)?

In summary, it's a bit rough around the edges but it's better than doing everything manually in iTunes and I gladly keep using it.  
(Version 1.6.8.01)

T_TOBY  I use this tool regularly and like the new regular updates. Stability and features have been improving steadily. Too bad there still is nu automatic update function.  
(Version 1.6.8)

IJULIA81  The app is improving with every release. I've had problems with a previous version and the developer fixed it within hours. Again.

I collect TV shows and have more than 800 episodes, my two 500 gig external drives are almost full. Even though I could create the reference files myself, I am glad VideoDrive does it for me because it gets REALLY tiresome really soon. In addition, the feature to add the metadata is helpful when tagging episodes with all the necessary information.

The app is fast, stable and highly customizable, depending on what you want. I just need reference files, which are put in my iTunes library which is on an external drive; the originals remain in place on other external drives. It works beautifully.

As to the other comments: The developer never said that every file works on the mobile devices, he even states on the first page on his website: "Reconversion may be required."

And like I have described above, my iTunes library and the files are spread over three (3 !!!) separate drives, soon it will be four. It handles shortcuts without problems, as long as you don't move your files around. Even iTunes itself doesn't like that.

Overall, I think this app is great for everyone who doesn't want to go through the tedious procedure of creating reference files and who wants full metadata on self-added (non-iTunes purchased) files.  
(Version 1.6.8)

WILLIAMD  HINT:

"VideoDrive is compatible with iPod, iPhone, Front Row and AppleTV"

NO, it does NOT allow unconverted movies etc to be played on those devices.

This statement by the developer is a LIE.  
(Version 1.6.7.03)

GARY WHITE  It appears that if you do not store your iTunes Music folder on your home folder, even though my Shortcut works to my external drive, this application barfs.

Pretty crap really if it can't follow a shortcut like every other application.

Very poor  
(Version 1.6.7.03)